The Reason Why
by xxshebeexx
Summary: The Doctor, Rose and Jack find themselves in a mysterious wood. Lost in the mist, they are left with little chance of escaping. And the Doctor and Rose have to discover their own reason why before it's too late.
1. Mist

Part One - Mist

With its familiar cry, the TARDIS announced its arrival.

Leaves whirled away from the blue wooden box as it appeared between two twisted old oak trees, coming to a rest a few metres away. As soon as the final echoes had died away, the door was pulled open.

Rose Tyler stepped out of the TARDIS, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear and surveying their destination.

"We're in a forest," she announced, not very impressed.

"Ah, so we are," the Doctor said, following her out, adjusting his battered leather jacket. "A foggy forest. Haha, alliteration there, did you see it?"

Rolling her eyes, she looked around. "Seriously, Doctor, we're in a _forest_."

"Great, isn't it?" he said, taking a deep breath. "Nice forest air. Even if it is a bit nippy. Maybe you want to grab a jacket before we take a look around?"

"Way ahead of you, Doc," Captain Jack declared, pulling the TARDIS door closed behind him and tossing Rose her pale pink jacket. She grinned and pulled it on, grateful for the warmth. It really was a bit chilly out here.

The Doctor started walking, taking long strides across the uneven ground. Jack and Rose exchanged looks and followed him.

After a few minutes, Rose felt chilled to the bone. The fog had become denser and clung to her skin and clothes. It was damp and unpleasant and made breathing difficult. The whole air was heavy and oppressive, made even more unpleasant by the eerie stillness. Even the Doctor slowed down a little; it was a task trying to see a few metres to the next bare tree.

Decaying, sodden leaves clung wetly to Rose's trainers, the damp twigs scattered on the forest floor crackled surprisingly loudly in the stillness. She winced every time she felt another snap beneath her shoe.

The Doctor shook his head with a slight smile when he noticed.

"There's nothing to be worried about," he said, in a voice loud enough for Rose to figure out he was trying to make a point. She decided to give him a quick glare before returning her eyes to the way in front of her. She didn't feel like tripping over some root because she wasn't watching where she was going. It was better to be looking in front of you in a place like this. And anyway, even Jack had his eyes trained on the way in front of him.

The Doctor was still muttering, probably something in the way of how gullible and easily frightened by a few clichés humans are, when their feet were knocked out from beneath them.

Rose barely had time to gather her breath to scream when she felt the ground disappearing and then there was nothing beneath her but swirling fog.

* * *

Tumbling through the air, Rose couldn't see a thing through the hair whipping at her face and the mist around her. She didn't have the breath to shout for the Doctor or Jack, and she certainly couldn't see them.

She didn't know for long she had been falling or how far, but without warning, she felt something sharp hit her shoulder. She gasped and promptly her breath was stolen a third time when the rest of her body followed suit and slammed mercilessly into the hard rock that had appeared beneath her.

Lying their for a moment, she steadied herself and slowly sat up. Pain shot through her shoulder and a quick look showed that her jacket had been torn neatly to reveal a bloodied gash along her shoulder and arm.

"Could've been worse," she muttered, taking a look around her. The fog here seemed far less thick; she could make out the cliff face that she, Jack and the Doctor had plummeted down.

The Doctor. Jack. Oh no, where were they?

She climbed hastily to her feet, calling "Doctor! Jack!" repeatedly into the murk. There was no answer.

"Great, they decide to do a disappearing act," she said to herself, but secretly she was a little worried. They had been right beside her, they should be here somewhere now. But they weren't.

"Right. Nothing for it." She had to keep walking, and see where she ended up. Staying here all day wasn't going to get her anywhere. Randomly, she started to her left, following the cliff base.

It had been eerie before, up in the woods, but it was more so now, being all alone with the damp mist whirling around her. Sometimes it was thicker, sometimes it thinned enough for her to make out the way in front of her, which was invariably more grey stones strewn over grey rock, without a tree or other plant in sight. What kind of place was this, she wondered.

Suddenly she stopped. There, through the thinning fog, she could see a light. And it wasn't her imagination, it was shining dully less than a hundred metres away. Her heart beating a little faster, she stumbled over to it.

As she came closer, she could make out the outline of a house. It was large, made of the same grey stone as the cliff and the ground was, with large even set windows. It was quite a manor, although it wasn't in very good shape. Withered ivy branches climbed over the facade, cracking the white-painted window panes and loosening the stonework.

The light was shining from one of the four downstairs windows, the one to the right of the ornate front door. Rose hurried over to the door, lifting the heavy brass knocker and letting it fall against the peeling paint on the wood.

She was about to knock again when she heard footsteps inside. She let her hand fall and took a step back. There was the rasp of a bolt being drawn back and then another and another, and the door was pulled open, just a crack.

"Who're you?" demanded a man's voice harshly.

"I'm sorry for disturbin', but I'm lost and was wondering if you could help me," Rose answered, stepping towards the door. She could just about see a rough face through the gap, two angry eyes glaring at her.

"Lost says you," the man sneered. "And I'm sure you are, missy, if that were possible. But sorry, I ain't gonna fall for that one. You hear? Go back and tell them, we ain't gonna fall for it. So sling your 'ook."

He moved to shut the door, but Rose reached out and pushed it in. He stared at her, horrified.

"Don't come in 'ere!" he gasped. "Don't you ... "

"I'm not going to do anything to you!" she said firmly. "But you have to help me. Please."

Reluctantly, the man stepped back and Rose pushed the door fully open. She entered and the man slammed the door shut behind her.

The hallway was gloomy, lit only by a single candle at the far end, near a closed door. The man beckoned her to follow him. He went through a door to the right of the door, where she had seen the light from outside.

This room was indeed brighter, lit by several oil lamps and candles mounted in brass fittings on the wallpapered walls. The room was lavishly decorated, in a style Rose had seen in history documentaries in school, with a thick carpet, an ornate fireplace, tapestries adorning the walls and upholstered furniture. But, like the outside, the room showed signs of wear and neglect: the fireplace was cold, the tapestries were torn, the carpet was worn and the sparse silverware in the cabinet was dull.

"Sorry, Mistress, but the girl demanded I let her in," the man said nervously. Rose looked over at her guide, taking in his plain shirt and dirty hands. Maybe a servant or something.

Her guess seemed correct when she noticed the woman he was addressing sitting in a large armchair in the centre of the room. She was in a cream dress, with her dark hair in ringlets and the golden bracelets on her arm jingling as she placed the teacup in her right hand onto a saucer on the table beside her.

"Thank you, Dominic," the woman said, her accent soft and English. Nice to know where she was, Rose decided. As long as this wasn't some weird, parallel England or something, in which case she wasn't even going to think about that. "You may leave us."

The man, Dominic, bowed awkwardly and left the room. The woman then turned her attention to Rose.

Rose felt decidedly uncomfortable under the woman's green gaze. She shifted, feeling that maybe her dirtied jeans, scuffed trainers and torn jacket didn't exactly fit in with this place. Well, nothing she could do.

"Look, I'm sorry for barging in like this," Rose began but before she could go any further, the woman raised her hand for silence.

"Most unexpected, indeed," the woman said slowly, "but not unheard of. I must apologise for Dominic's behaviour at the door, but as I am sure you are aware as to the reason why."

"Er..."

"Oh, I am sorry, I am the one being rude now. Please, take a seat. And we must see to your injury in a moment, once we have dispensed with the formalities." She gestured at the couch at the other side of the table.

Rose had almost forgotten the cut on her shoulder, the cold had numbed it enough that it wasn't really hurting anymore. She walked over and sat on the embroidered couch, feeling it give way slightly beneath her weight, rather like her grandma's couch used to. She started crossing her legs, thought better of it, and sat straight instead.

"I'm sorry, but d'you mind me asking who you are?" Rose said before the woman could say anything else.

She smiled at Rose. "I am Jane Lewington, and this house is Lewington Manor." The smile faded a little. "But surely you must know this."

Rose shook her head. "No, sorry, I'm not from round here. I was travelling with my friends and we kind of got a little lost."

The woman, Jane, was watching Rose thoughtfully. "No, from your accent, not to mention your attire, you certainly are not from these parts. But pray, tell me your name, where you are from and what is was that brought you here."

"I'm Rose. Rose Tyler. Like I said, I was travelling. With friends. We got lost, and I really haven't a clue where we are."

Jane folded her arms on her lap. "We are in Yorkshire, Miss Tyler." Her voice had become a little patronising, but Rose couldn't blame her. But still, it was a relief to be only in England, even if it was eighteenth or nineteenth century. If she'd listened a little in class, she might have known a little more from the decor of the room. But school had never exactly been her strong point.

"Right, okay," Rose said. "That's good to know. But can you please help me find my friends?"

"You became separated from them?" Rose nodded. "Then they are still outside?" Another nod. "Oh dear."

"What is it?" Rose demanded, a little nervous now.

"You are not acquainted with this place, correct?"

"Yeah."

"You are not aware of what has been happening here recently?"

"No." Rose frowned. "Has it something to do with that weird fog? And why Dominic was so afraid at the door?"

Jane nodded, one hand going up to the golden cross hanging from a chain around her neck and nestling against the neckline of her dress. "Yes. Three weeks ago it was summer, a beautiful summer with sunshine and flowers. One night, the fog appeared as if from nowhere. The sun disappeared, the flowers and trees withered and died, the streams dried up and it became deathly cold." Her hand tightened around the cross. "And then people started disappearing."

"What do you mean?" But Rose could already see where this was going. And she didn't like it.

"People from the outlying farms went first. Then people from the villages. Most have never been seen again. The few that have... it might have been better that they had never been found. The survivors group together in the bigger houses, but they cannot stay there indefinitely. Whenever someone does venture out, they rarely return."

"What happens to the people? Who's doing it?"

"We do not know. But we all fear that it might not be human."

Rose felt a thrill run through her. But it was a cold one, one of fear.

"It is remarkable that you survived, Miss Tyler. But ... "

"My friends are out there," Rose whispered.


	2. Darkness

Part Two – Darkness

"I have to find them!"

Rose was on her feet without remembering standing up. Her face flushed a little, but fear and panic made her forget her embarrassment.

The lady, Jane, sighed and stood. "I am truly sorry, Miss Tyler, but I cannot allow that. It is far too dangerous to go alone and there is nobody to accompany you. I will not order Dominic to, and I certainly shall not."

"I can go alone," Rose said defiantly. But she knew that it was impossible. She didn't have the first idea where to search. But that didn't do anything to dispel the cold fear at the pit of her stomach. _Oh God, what if something's happened to them?_

Jane smiled sadly at her. "You know it is not possible, The best thing for you to do is to stay here. Perhaps your friends will find their way here as you did."

"Maybe," Rose said, but it was half-heartedly said. They would have been here by now if they could have.

"Come into the parlour," Jane said, taking Rose by the arm and leading her gently out of the room. "We shall get you something to eat and see about somewhere to sleep. And I will take a look at that shoulder. Everything will seem much clearer in the morning."

_With that fog out there? _Rose thought to herself. _I don't think so._

* * *

Falling of the side of a cliff was something Jack hadn't done much of before in his life. And as he hit the ground and pain shot up his side, he made a mental note not to do it again in a hurry.

He got to feet, wincing at the scrapes on his dark suede jacket. Brushing the gravel and stones from his trousers, he looked around him. Or tried to anyway. The fog was still too thick down here to see much.

From the mist came a muffled shout. "Rose? Rose? Jack?"

"Doctor! Over here!" Jack hollered back and a moment later was relieved when the Doctor stepped out of the murk. He appeared completely unscathed. Typical.

"You took your time," Jack drawled, but the Doctor wasn't really listening.

"Where's Rose?" he demanded, still frantically looking around. Without waiting for an answer, he shouted her name.

"I haven't seen her. Doctor! Hey Doctor! Calm down a second. We'll look for her, okay?"

The Doctor nodded and hastily strode off into the fog, leaving Jack to run after him.

Their search proved futile though. Jack didn't know how long they ran through the mist, shouting and stumbling, seeing nothing but endless whiteness and the grey of the stones underfoot. It was cold and monotonous and he was beginning to become worried about Rose.

Finally the Doctor paused, Jack almost running into him. He was panting and the Doctor was hardly out of breath.

"D'you see that?" the Doctor asked quietly, waving his hand to the right. Jack peered over in that direction, seeing little more than swirling whiteness.

"Er..."

The Doctor spun around and headed to where he had been pointing. Jack followed, and was surprised by the sight of a fence. It was made of wood, but it had long since rotted and it was a wonder that any of it was still standing. The Doctor stared at the fence for a moment then stepped over it, hurrying across the gravel. A grey stone wall materialised out of the gloom, which Jack quickly saw as being a building.

Pausing again, the Doctor took the sonic screwdriver out of his coat pocket. With a flick of his finger, it came to life adding a blue glow to the white mist around them. He waved it around the wall a little, a slight frown creasing his features.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"There's no one inside." The Doctor was staring at the screwdriver in frustration. "It says there's several more buildings around here, looks like quite a village. But it can't pick up anybody anywhere."

"So it's deserted." Jack shivered, pulling his jacket tighter. "Can't blame them. This place gives me the creeps. The sooner we find Rose and get out of here, the better."

The Doctor nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, so we'd better get finding her then." He started walking again, this time along the wall of the building, through the village.

The fog was a little thinner in the village. Jack caught glimpses of stone houses and more rotting fences. Now and then there were a few dead trees along the way, but apart from that, there was nothing. A ghost town.

"What do you think happened here?" Jack asked softly. He didn't like speaking too loudly, it would be like shouting in a graveyard.

Without slowing, the Doctor glanced over his shoulder at him. "You know, I haven't the faintest idea. I'm not even sure where we are. I was aiming for England, but are we here? Possibly. But it sure doesn't look like anywhere in England I've ever been."

"But where d'you think the people are? Run away? Is it always this foggy? It's a bit, I dunno, creepy."

"Quite possibly they've run away. Or maybe they were chased away. Or maybe they didn't 'ave a chance to run anywhere."

"Or maybe some of them are still here," came a soft voice from behind.

Jack and the Doctor spun around in alarm. Standing no more than a few metres behind them, stood a child. A boy, maybe ten or twelve years old. His clothes were ragged and torn, his face haggard. Jack shivered involuntarily at the bleak expression on his face.

The Doctor apparently had no such qualms. With a bright smile, he took a step closer to the boy. The fog seemed to have cleared a little, at least around them.

"Hey there." The Doctor said cheerfully. "And who are you?"

The child didn't answer. He just kept staring at them, his blue eyes hard against his pale features. The Doctor tried again. "We're not going to hurt you. We can help. If you'll – "

"Follow me." With that, the boy abruptly spun around and marched off. Exchanging a quick glance with Jack, the Doctor hurried after him.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver couldn't pick up anybody out here," Jack said in a low voice, carefully avoiding a rotting slat of wood on the ground.

With a slight glance at the device, the Doctor pocketed it. "It still doesn't really. It only registers the boy faintly."

"You reckon it's the fog?"

The Doctor frowned. "I do. At least for the moment, I do." He perked up. "Looks like we're here. Didn't take long! Maybe we'll get a cuppa. It's a bit chilly, this tramping around in the fog."

Jack squinted through the thinning gloom to see where 'here' was. Another stone building, a low squatting one, with a rotted door and decaying thatch, conveniently windowless.

The boy gave the door a push. He beckoned to the Doctor and Jack, stepping inside. They followed, into the dark.

The gloom in here was unsettling, the silence of the boy making it even more so. Flickering candles along the wall gave a hesitant glow to the small room, a somehow cold glow. Jack shrugged into his jacket.

Their guide stopped and faced them. "You're to go down and wait." Momentarily confused, Jack understood when the Doctor pointed at the trapdoor at the child's feet.

"Down there? Are the others down there?"

A slight stiff nod.

"C'mon, Jack, let's go." Suiting action to words, the Doctor lowered himself down the hole. Looking uneasily around him, Jack followed.

The ladder was rickety and difficult to grip. There wasn't far to go. Jack felt the ground beneath his boots after only a few minutes. In the pitch blackness down here, the jumping candlelight from above seemed absurdly bright.

"Now what?" Jack asked, standing beside the Doctor. "You'd think they'd stick on the light for visitors."

The Doctor peered around him. "We'll find them."

Jack looked up at the bright square that was possibly the only exit. "If you're sure." Suddenly the light seemed to be shrinking. "Hey! The trapdoor's closing!"

With a thud, the trapdoor slammed shut, leaving them in utter darkness.


	3. No Need For Words

Part Three – No Need For Words

Standing beside the wood-panelled window, Rose decided that Jane's dress may have looked pretty but now that she was in a similar albeit green dress, the whole thing seemed less appealing. For the dozenth time, she tugged at the tight bodice, wishing she had not agreed to have her jeans and t-shirt washed.

Jane herself was standing at the fire, golden bracelets glinting in the light. She turned to Rose.

"Perhaps we should turn in, Miss Tyler. It is late and we can search in the morning for your friends."

Rose peered through the thin glass, wishing she could make out more than a blank wall of grey. Without looking at Jane, she waved a hand. "You go on ahead. I'll be up in a bit. T'was the second room on the left, wasn't it, mine? I'll see you in the morning!"

There was a pause. "As you wish, Miss Tyler. Dominic will be downstairs should you require anything. Goodnight."

Rose waited until her footsteps had faded then spun around. She had no intention of waiting around until morning, anything could have happened to the Doctor and Jack by then. She crossed the kitchen to pick up the candle, wincing as a drop of hot wax spilled on her finger.

"Gotta remember to bring a torch next time," she muttered to herself as she stepped out into the hallway.

It was cool and quiet. Feeling only slightly guilty about lying to Jane, she tiptoed along the hall, stopping momentarily when she heard a cough. She glanced in a half-open doorway.

Dominic was sitting at a rough wooden table with cards laid out in front of him, the maid who had helped Rose dress was reading by a small fire. Just the servant's quarters.

Suddenly Rose spotted a low door, hidden almost out of sight at the back of the staircase. It wasn't ornately gilded like the rest. She crossed over to it and gently turned the handle. It didn't move.

Could be a cupboard, she thought to herself. But why lock it? Sonic screwdriver would be handy right about now.

Rose held the candle closer. The wood of the door wasn't in great shape, like the rest of the house. Maybe a push…

With a creak, the door gave way and one of the panels cracked inwards. Startled, Rose toppled in after, barely managing to hold onto the candle. She waited for a second, her heart beating wildly but no one came to investigate. With a quick sigh, she pulled herself free of the wood, tearing the green silk dress.

She held the candle up in the gloom. It certainly wasn't a cupboard anyway. The flickering light revealed a narrow stone corridor, seemingly hacked out of the bedrock. She made up her mind instantly. A secret passageway in the dead of night? She just had to follow it.

A long time later, she began to have her doubts. She had lost count of the minutes and was beginning to get tired. It was damp and cold down here and the thin dress wasn't adequate covering at all. Her eyes were aching from the feeble light of the candle, which was burning alarmingly fast.

Suddenly the stone walls on either side disappeared. She slowed, confused, before realising that the passageway had opened out into a larger cave or cavern.

"Who's there?" Rose froze at the sound of the voice through the silence.

"We're not going to harm you!"

A grin appeared on her face. "Doctor!"

"Rose?" The sound of footsteps was followed by the Doctor emerging out of the darkness. He smiled broadly and gave her a quick hug. "You're okay!"

"Not too bad. You gave me such a fright, you and Jack disappearin' like that! Where is he anyway?"

"Right here!" He stepped into the light, blinking. "Well, what are you wearing?"

Rose smoothed the dress over her hip. "I tore my stuff. This lady back at the manor have me this to wear."

"A manor? Did you find out where we are?" the Doctor asked urgently.

She smiled. He didn't know."1800s Yorkshire."

"You'll fit right in, Doctor," Jack grinned.

The Doctor ignored him. "Did you find out what's been going on?"

Rose quickly related what she knew, leaving the Doctor looking thoughtful.

"You know what we do next?" she asked him. "Go back to Jane?"

"No, I don't think so. Actually, wait, yes. Jack, you go find this Jane. I don't really fancy splittin' up, but what can we do? Rose, you're going to come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to find us some locals."

* * *

Poking around in dark caves with only the glow of the sonic screwdriver as a light and only wearing a thin silk dress wasn't overly fun, Rose decided. They seemed no better off for all their searching. Even the Doctor appeared a little stumped.

He glared at the sonic screwdriver. "Readings still seem a little off. Well, at least I don't think we've been walking around in circles for two hours." He grinned. "That'd be worse."

"D'you reckon we could take a rest?" Rose asked, almost tripping over the torn hem of her dress again.

They stopped and sat side by side on the uneven rocky ground. The Doctor extinguished the faint light of the sonic screwdriver. Catching her breath, Rose let her eyes adjust to the darkness.

"You think Jack's okay?" she asked, folding her arms around herself.

"Jack? Course he is. Probably sitting at a roaring fire right this minute with a cup of tea, waiting for us to show up so he can explain everything that's been happening here."

She smiled at the thought. "Yeah, probably."

They lapsed into silence, listening to their quiet breathing and the ticking of the Doctor's watch. Rose lost track of time again, the minutes stretched out endlessly.

She broke the silence with a hushed, "Doctor?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it just me or is it getting colder?" She rubbed her goosepimpled arms again.

"Could be, I s'pose." She could imagine his face crinkling into that frown of his. "Can't imagine why though." His leather jacket rustled and Rose blinked in the sudden glare of light from the sonic screwdriver. "I don't understand what's up with this!" He glared at the device. "Honestly! Well, as long as it doesn't get much colder, we'll be alright." He suddenly seemed to notice that it wasn't only the light of the sonic screwdriver contributing to the blue hue of her face.

Worry creased his features and he shifted across to sit beside her, slipping his leather jacket off and wrapping it around her shoulders. He threw one arm around her and pulled her to him.

She nestled against his chest, listening to the comforting throbs of his hearts, letting his warmth soak into her cool skin.

"Hey, don't worry bout this," he murmured into her hair.

"Who's worrying?" she said, moving slightly to rest her head on his shoulder.

His warm hand came up to caress her icy cheek. It tingled from his touch.

"That's my Rose, always so brave" he whispered, a murmur so soft she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it or not.

Suddenly he dropped his hand from her face, as if fearing he'd gone too far, crossed the invisible line they'd never mentioned. Rose reached out and caught his hand in her own freezing one, intertwining her fingers with his.

They sat there like that for a minute, then the Doctor tried to disengage his fingers. But Rose turned her head to his and he looked down at her, their faces only centimetres apart. Even in the gloom, Rose could feel the intensity of his gaze as he stared into her eyes.

For a moment, neither said anything. Her heart was beating painfully hard against her ribcage. She could sense his reluctance to move, his desire to protect her and his uncertainty of what could follow. But all she could think of was his body pressed against hers, tensed. In what? Fear? Anger? Nervousness?

Anticipation?

His breath was warm and misted the little space between them. Rose's heart beat faster and faster. She couldn't tear his eyes from his.

On impulse he leaned down, closing the gap and pressing his lips against hers. They were warm and soft, the kiss leaving her breathless and trembling when he pulled away.

She couldn't let him do that. She took his face in both her hands and kissed him again, more deeply. This time he was the one looking flustered.

For a few seconds, neither moved. Then the Doctor opened his mouth to say something. Rose put a finger on his lips.

"Shh," she whispered, wrapping her hands around his waist and leaning back against his chest. His hands encircled her waist and he rested his head atop hers.

There was no need for words.


	4. Unexpected Discovery

Part Four – Unexpected Discovery

"Next time, you two can go traipsing around in the dark on your own… hey hey, what have we here?"

Jack's voice cut through the darkness quite unexpectedly, before the light from the lantern he was holding fell across the Rose and the Doctor from where they were curled up on the stone. Rose scrambled to her feet, feeling a blush creeping across her cheeks. She began slipping off the leather jacket until she felt the Doctor's warms hands on her back.

"Keep it for now," he murmured from behind her. "You need it more than me."

Jack arched an eyebrow at this exchange. The Doctor quickly stepped away from her, clearing his throat and for all the world almost looking sheepish. Despite the heat suffusing her face, Rose grinned and hugged the jacket around her.

"So, Jack, what are you doing back here?" she asked, determined to change the subject. Now was not the time to be dwelling on some things, especially with that smug grin on Jack's face and the Doctor looking everywhere and anywhere but at her or Jack.

"Interesting story, actually," Jack said, that annoyingly knowing grin still there. "I found the house alright, but there was no-one there. No lady, no maid, no doorman. So I palmed myself this neat little lantern and figured I'd find you guys again."

"Any sign of a struggle?" the Doctor asked, his voice much steadier than Rose's had been. Not fair, Rose decided to herself before another blush turned her cheeks pink again.

"Not at all." Jack frowned. "It was like everyone there had just decided to walk out, which makes no sense at all, considering what they said to Rose."

"No sense at all," the Doctor said thoughtfully, tapping the sonic screwdriver against his thigh. "Well, no use standing around here yapping about it, is there? We've got a proper light now, let's make use of it!"

Jack led the way, holding the lantern out as they walked. The cave suddenly appeared far more ominous to Rose, with long, deep shadows looming threateningly all around them. The cold, damp air was oppressive and she pulled the Doctor's jacket tighter around herself.

"There!" The Doctor's exclamation had them all looking up. "Over there, see there's a door!"

A closer inspection revealed a heavy metal blast door set into the deep stone of the cave walls.

"What on earth is this doing here?" Jack asked slowly. "This has to be at least 20th century, if not later."

"Maybe not even earth," the Doctor added, letting the sonic screwdriver whirr as he traced it along the doorframe. "Aha, here's the control panel… One sec…"

With a resounding hiss, the door grated open. Rose peered into the room beyond, blinking at the unexpected array of beeping machines, twisted cables and flashing monitors. She followed Jack and the Doctor into the room.

The Doctor's interest was piqued. He hopped from machine to machine exclaiming brightly, "This is so unusual! It's like a big mix of totally different systems! They shouldn't even dream of being compatible!"

Rose rolled her eyes and leaned against a particularly large humming specimen of a computer. Jack only grinned.

"I think I'm gonna head back out there," he said, watching the Doctor run his hand in what looked suspiciously like a caress on one of the screens. "He seems to be entirely hooked. Maybe I can find a way out of here or at least a few more answers than the computer geek over there."

Smiling, Rose nodded. "Shall I join you?"

"No, you stay here. Someone's gotta watch his back when he's up to his nose in wiring. I won't be long, no worries."

She watched him cross over to the door and disappear into the darkness. He had taken the lantern, but there was enough light in the room to see by. She turned to watch the Doctor, feeling her pulse quicken ever so slightly.

Oh no. Alone with him again.


	5. Because of Him

Part Five - Because Of Him

"Reckon he'll find a way out of here?" Rose asked, raising her voice so the Doctor would hear.

He shrugged, looking up from the computer long enough to say, "Worth a try I s'pose

Rose slid off her seat and stood behind him, watching him disinterestedly. "Whatcha doing?"

"You really want me to explain?" he asked incredulously, without looking up.

"S'pose not."

He didn't say anything and she didn't bother trying to continue the conversation. There was a palpable awkwardness between them, she could feel it. It wasn't as if they'd never had awkward moments before, it was just that this time there was another reason.

"Doctor?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we talk?" She hated the shake in her voice.

"Don't we always?" he replied flippantly, still not looking up.

"I mean, properly."

"Er... guess so. Talk away, I'm listening."

"No, you're not." She reached over and took the screwdriver out of his hand, slipping the switch off.

"Hey!" he exclaimed and lunged weakly for it.

She tucked it into the pocket of the jacket and crossed her arms across her chest. "Well, you weren't gonna listen with your head in a bunch of technical stuff, were you?"

He scowled then softened his features. Leaning against the wall beside the interface, he was mere centimetres from her, closer than they'd been since the incident.

She had to clear her throat before she could continue. "You know what I'm gonna say."

Affecting confusion he said, "Nope, not the foggiest."

"You just like making this hard, don't you?"

"Generally, yep, really do. Fun, isn't it?"

His bright grin was somewhat forced though, she could tell, but it made her heart beat fast nonetheless.

"I don't think I'd agree. But okay, to the point." Mentally she steeled herself. "We have to talk bout what happened at some stage, you know."

He frowned. "What happened?"

"Don't pretend you don't know!" she snapped, uncrossing her arms. "In the other cave!"

The grin disappeared and his body tensed. Not so casual now.

"What about it?" he said, slowly and carefully after a few seconds.

"You're acting as if nothing happened there, as if it didn't mean anything. Maybe it didn't," her heart caught in her throat, "but at least have the decency to tell me that so!"

He didn't say a thing, looking for all the world like a caged animal, as if he'd rather be anywhere else in the universe rather than here.

"You can't even say it, can you?" she whispered, wrapping her arms around her. She couldn't tear her eyes from his, his gaze seemed to penetrate her very soul, so powerful, so intense. "Say it."

Her heart thundered against her ribs and she trembled.

"Say it."

But he wouldn't, deep down, she knew he never would. Curse him, but he never would.

"We kissed, Doctor, why won't you just say it?"

He stared at her, silence stretching the seconds, the tension almost visible in the air between them.

She took a step backwards, shaking head. Tears stung her eyes and her breath caught painfully in her throat. Her chest hurt, her vision blurred.

He didn't want her.

The truth was painful, too difficult to grasp, to horrible to think of. It didn't matter what had happened between them, if he wasn't willing to accept it, then it might as well be forgotten.

A red hot blush suffused her cheeks; she spun around so he wouldn't see. Stifled sobs racked her body and she stumbled from the room.

* * *

He watched her go in silence, listening as her strangled sobs faded from hearing. He didn't move, just remained leaning where he was.

The minutes ticked slowly by, unnoticed. He wasn't aware of them, and neither could he care. Every one of his thoughts was on Rose.

Should he have said something? He had longed to, longed to tell her what he had felt when they had kissed, longed to reach out to her, take her hand and tell her that everything would be alright.

So why hadn't he?

He closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips as the truth overwhelmed him. He never could do what he wanted, what they both wanted. If he did, then her life would be destroyed. Death, destruction, pain - they were his constant companions, they followed him wherever he went. He couldn't subject her to what he had to suffer. She claimed to understand, but how could she?

Oh Rose. So sweet, so innocent. Everything she did, she did it for him. Everything she saw, she saw because of him. Everything she lost, she lost because of him. Responsibility was nothing new to him, but never had he been so responsible, had one person so entirely dependent on him for one reason.

He knew what that reason was. He had never told her that he knew the reason, but he had, right from the start.

That despite everything, he wanted her with him for the very same reason she stayed.


	6. Taken

Part Six – Taken

Keep running.

Don't think, run.

Tears stung Rose's eyes as she stumbled blindly over the rocks. Her chest heaved with effort but she refused to slow down, even for a moment. If she stopped, thoughts would come and that she could not allow.

The voluminous skirts were catching her legs, interrupting her run with trips that almost sent her sprawling. She could not make out a thing, through the tears and the darkness but that didn't matter.

A stone caught her slippered foot, dumping her unceremoniously on the ground, skirts spread around her. She blinked, realising that she could actually see. Not very far, to be honest, but it seemed that she'd found her way outside, back to the fog.

Gathering the skirts in one hand, she pulled herself to her feet. The silk was cold between her fingers. She let in drop, thrusting her hand into one of the pockets of the leather jacket. Lingering warmth, _his_ warmth, seeped slowly into her chilled skin.

The fog seemed to be clearing a little. It certainly looked a little thinner anyway.

A twisted piece of wood a few yards to her right caught her eye. Picking her way across the stones, she swiped a sleeve of the jacket over her cheeks. The tears had been freezing where they fell.

She stopped suddenly, in shock, staring at the fog. She could not have described it exactly, but it seemed to be … moving somehow. Writhing might have been a better word. It twisted and turned in on itself, slowly and ghostly. Twisting towards her.

She did not know what fog that seemed to be alive did to people, but she had no intention of finding out. Living fog shouldn't even exist! She stumbled backwards, watching in horror as a whip-like tendril of white mist curled out, reaching for her. It pulsed, glowing eerily in the greyness.

With a cry, Rose spun around, preparing to run. The sight of a second tendril, mere centimetres from her face cut her short. Unable to run, she flinched as the slender filament brushed her cheek.

The touch of mist was quite gentle, hardly more than a soft breath on her cheek. But it hurt. Oh gosh, it hurt. Her whole face tingled and her mouth fell open in a silent groan. The second tendril on her hand made her muscles clench. By the time a third branch of fog had ghosted her neck, she felt her eyes slipping closed. Darkness enveloped her and all thoughts of running fled.

* * *

The unexpected cry cutting through the dimness made Jack start in surprise. It sounded somewhat familiar, but far away. God, had that been Rose? No, it couldn't have been. She was safe with the Doctor. Wasn't she?

Shaking his head, Jack kept walking. If Rose was still with the Doctor, the last thing she would have been doing was crying. Well, if he had guessed right anyway. Which he was sure he had. That was enough to return the grin to his face.

Wait, was that a light ahead? Jack strained to see into the darkness, considering whether to extinguish his own lantern or not.

The appearance of a silhouette, a nice feminine silhouette in fact, against the light decided it for him.

Holding the lantern out, Jack walked closer. The small pool of light fell quickly on the woman. She was dark haired, her cream dress torn and dirtied. She wasn't wearing any of the gold that Rose had described, but there was no doubt in Jack's mind. And Rose had certainly said nothing about how pretty she was. He might have looked harder for her earlier if he'd known how nicely the dress fitted her curves and how green her eyes were. The fear reflected in her eyes did not diminish her beauty at all.

"Who-who-are-you?" she stammered, her voice melodious even when tinged with fright.

"Hey, don't worry. You must be Jane," Jack said, taking a step closer and assuming his most reassuring smile. If anything, hearing her own name made her eyes open even wider. Jack sighed. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness. One of Rose's friends."

Jane nodded slowly, but she still gripped her skirt tightly.

"What happened?" Jack asked softly.

"I – " The abrupt clattering of falling stones cut her words off sharply. Jack spun, thrusting his lantern out in front of him. The light of Jane's lantern flickered as her hands shook. Pebbles skidded to a halt at his feet. The sound of running footsteps somewhere to their right caught Jack's attention. He motioned for Jane to follow him and sprinted into the dark.

"Stop!" he vaguely heard her call. He glanced over his shoulder.

"You must not follow! Please!" Her eyes danced with renewed fear.

He slowed, staring at her. "There was someone there. You'd better have a good reason! I want to know who. And why. There's something seriously weird going on here and I'm not gonna be happy about it till I know what it is."

"I understand that, Captain, truly I do, but you must be careful!" Her lip quivered as she was going to cry.

"I'm not exactly what you'd call a careful kinda guy. And the sooner we find out what the hell's going on here, the sooner we get to leave. Foggy, cold, old-fashioned places with totally random computers in the mix don't really do it for me."

"Computers?"

"Ah, never mind." He smiled again. This time her features softened and the fear in her face seemed subdued. "Let's go find Rose and the Doctor." He offered her his arm. She hesitated then took it. Yes, he really should have looked harder earlier.

Turning, Jack found himself being grabbed by the arms by an unseen assailant. Before he could even think of reacting, a black bag was being pulled over his head.

He really hadn't expected that at all.


	7. The Cold Ones

Part Seven – The Cold Ones

At first, Jack tried to imprint the route they were taking in his mind. A left. Right. A straight stretch. Right again. But try as he might, as time went by, the way got far too complicated: a myriad warren of unseen tunnels. He gave up on the recital in his head.

It was difficult enough to concentrate on staying on his feet. Every boulder, invisible to him, almost sent him toppling. He would have fallen twenty times over were it not for the rough hands on his back, pulling him upright whenever he tripped. Breathing wasn't too easy either. The air black bag obscuring his vision was stifled and his throat itched.

The unseen captors didn't say a word, their footfalls on the stones were quiet and light in comparison to Jack's laboured stumbles. He could not have guessed how many there were, otherwise he might tried lashing out at them, But it would be pointless if they could easily overpower him, if even by sheer numbers rather than strength. A smile tugged at his lips despite everything. So much for a man who knew no cautions, he thought wryly. Jane was probably laughing at him.

His smile faded. If she was alright, that was.

With a sudden forceful jerk, Jack's captor pulled him to a halt. A boot between his shoulder blades sent him sprawling painfully on the array of jagged stones. He suppressed a shout and lay still. Straining, he listened until the footsteps had faded from hearing and the only sound was his own rasping breath in his ears.

"Jane?" he whispered hoarsely, the stones clattering as he shifted into a sitting position. "Jane, are you here?"

Relief hit him when her voice sounded a decidedly wavery, "Jack?"

"Yeah, I'm here! Are you okay?" The cords that had been fastened around his wrists, though not tight, had rubbed his skin and it stung as he tried wriggling his hands out.

"I suppose."

"That's good. I – Hang on a sec." A final tug and his hands were free. He wasted no time pulling the bag off and taking a deep breath of cool, clean air.

Blinking, he realised that he could see. They were still in the cave, but this one was dimly lit. Not by lamps or candles though. Somehow. The diffuse glow took him a moment to adjust to.

Jane was on her knees a few yards away, her hands behind her back, visibly trembling. He crawled over to her, his cold hand fumbling at her bonds. She gasped with relief and rubbed her raw wrists, tears shining in her eyes.

"Don't let them come back, Jack," she mumbled.

"I don't understand what this is about," Jack said, the frustration working up inside him. "What did they want? Why put us here? Who were they?"

"Please, don't ask questions." She reached out and gripped his cold hand.

He smiled grimly at her before getting slowly to his feet. Before he had managed to stand fully upright, his head hit the stone ceiling of the cave. Jack bit off a curse before dropping back to a crouch.

"It's too low to stand in here. Looks like we'll literally be crawling." He grimaced. "Lovely."

Pulling himself forward, he heard Jane do something that sounded very like a whimper. "Can we not stay?" she asked, but the sound of stones skittering told him she was following.

The glow seemed to be getting brighter. Jack could make out the rocks in front of him and could see the redness of his wrists. It was a cold glow, bluish and harsh.

Jack paused for a moment, forgetting the aching in his knees. The stones in front of him seemed to suddenly disappear. He edged slowly forward and peered ahead.

They had reached the source of the glow and it stole his breath away.

A massive cavern opened out in front of him, an immense cave stretching out endlessly. Jack would never have believed it possible to find such a huge cave anywhere, let alone tucked away under the windswept 19th century Yorkshire Dales.

However, it wasn't exactly the vastness of the cave that left him so absolutely speechless. It was the blue tinged glow that lit the cavern, filling the space. It was the air, bathed in the translucent brightness. The men and the women and the children, every one with pale faces devoid of life, arms limp at their sides, still dressed in the tattered clothing they had worn on their farms. Now they dangled, paralysed, in mid-air in their dozens. Hundreds maybe.

Biting his lip, Jack leaned away from the edge of the ledge, his mind whirling, feeling sick. Those people, they looked dead. No one could be so white and cold and still be alive. Heck, whatever had happened to them, he fervently hoped it had been quick. And painless.

A soft murmuring beside him made him turn to Jane. She was reciting what sounded like a prayer under her breath, her hands shaking.

"I don't think prayers will help them now," Jack said hollowly. "You've seen this before, haven't you? That's why you were so reluctant to come poking around down here."

She took a deep breath before answering, visibly steeling herself. "People… people started disappearing a couple of months ago. Not long after the fog appeared. Just a few at first, but unusual. Most unusual. They returned after a day or two. But they were different. They had changed – or been changed – somehow. I don't know, they were suddenly cold and distant. Not long after, more people started vanishing from the outlying farms and soon from the villages as well."

She glanced down and picked up a pebble, toying with it. "Some always returned, but they were always changed. It did not take us long to realise the fog, the disappearances and those who returned were somehow connected. We shut ourselves into our homes and feared for our lives, dreading the inevitable return of the disappeared. Because the cold ones stole anyone who was left."

She dropped the pebble back onto the ground. "After Miss Tyler left my manor, I sought out Dominic, intending he search for her. When I found him, he grabbed me, trussed me up and dragged me down into the caves, his eyes as hard and as empty as the other cold ones. They had taken him and I had not even been aware of it!"

She shivered, fingering a rip in the silk folds of her skirts. "I fought him, though, and bested him somehow, managing to escape. But not before managing to catch a glimpse of this chamber." She looked up, locking his eyes in an intense gaze, only slightly marred by a flicker of fear. "Can we save them? Whatever it is, can we save them?"

Jack could only glance down at the cavern with a troubled frown and shrug.


	8. Porcelain

Sorry for this one taking so long! I hope you enjoy:)

* * *

Part Eight – Porcelain 

"'Ello Jack!"

The Doctor's voice appearing out of the dimness made Jack start in surprise. He turned to see the Doctor effortlessly pulling himself along the pebbles on all fours, his usual grin firmly in place.

"Nice to see you again," the Doctor continued, coming to a stop beside them. "I was beginning to think you'd disappeared completely what with you being gone AWOL and that. Rose wouldn't be with you, by any chance? No, of course she wouldn't, she's always off getting herself in trouble somewhere, isn't she? Ah!" He smiled perkily at Jack's companion. "You must be the ever-elusive Jane. I'm the Doctor, glad to meet you." He suddenly seemed to realise that Jane's wide eyes weren't a result of this barrage, and that unflappable Jack had worry and shock creasing his features. The grin slowly faded. "What's wrong?"

Mutely Jack waved his hand towards the ledge's edge. One look down into the cave had the Doctor sitting back heavily on his heels. "It all makes so much more sense now," he said flatly.

"How so?" Jane asked nervously.

"Those computers we saw are linked to an energy retrieval system."

There was a shocked silence.

"There's something taking the energy, the _life_ from these people," Jack said hollowly.

The Doctor nodded glumly. Jane's face was ashen and her hands were shaking again.

"So what do we do?" Jack's question sounded empty, even to himself. "How do we save them?"

Hesitating, the Doctor shifted on his heels. "I'm not really sure, actually. Maybe we could turn off the machines, but I reckon that they're the only thing keeping them alive for the moment. I don't even want to try reversing the energy flow. The energy has been compressed somehow, as if for storage. The technology is a total and utter chaos, completely makeshift. As if it's been randomly cobbled together by someone blindfolded."

"Alien?"

"Could be."

"So we do nothing?"

"I didn't say that." The Doctor was suddenly at the edge again, peering down into the cave. Something resembling his usual self lit his face up. "You two up for some climbing?"

"I've had enough of cliffs," Jack announced once his feet were safely on the floor of the cave. "The sooner we're outta here, the better. Once we've found Rose, once we've…" His voice trailed off.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at him and rubbed some dust from his dark green jumper. Well, it might have been dark green, it was hard to tell. The glow had become much stronger, now that they were closer to the source.

Swallowing, Jack reached over to grab Jane's hand. To sooth her, of course. It wasn't his hand that was shaking. Of course.

The source. Lifeless, the hung there, blank eyes staring at nothing. Pale faces, white and empty. Jack's gaze played over the people, his heart thudding loudly against his ribs. It seemed far too loud in the languorous stillness.

"C'mon Jane, we'll fix this. Trust me." The confidence in his voice surprised him. He shook his head and followed the Doctor, leading Jane through the sea of floating statues. He might have meant the words he had just said to Jane, but in his heart he knew that it was wishful thinking.

They were heading towards the centre of the cave, to where the blue glow was strongest. Jack didn't really know what they'd do once they got there, but it seemed a good a thing as any to do.

Jane stopped suddenly, her hand flying to her mouth. "My maid," she whispered. She turned slowly, and gasped. "Dominic." Jack gripped her hand rightly, but knew his attempt at reassurance was rather desperate.

There came a sudden thud from behind them. Jack spun around to find the Doctor on his knees on the rocks. He was staring upwards, his mouth open in a display of horror, completely frozen in shock.

Jack followed his gaze and his heart caught in his throat as he recognised the figure suspended in the air above the Doctor.

* * *

She looked like a doll. A porcelain figurine, white and delicate. The leather jacket looked far too big on her slim curves, the Doctor thought absently. The blankness of her face, her brown eyes devoid of their life and sparkle made him stifle a sob.

"Oh Rose."

What had he done?

* * *

"Doctor!" Jack rushed to his side, concern painting his features. He knelt down in front of him, firmly putting his hands on the Doctor's shoulders. "Come on, this isn't you. You're stronger than this."

Silent tears ran down the Doctor cheeks. Looking past Jack, he stared wordlessly at Rose.

Jack sighed and stood. The Doctor might be strong but Jack knew he was asking the impossible. It would be up to him.

He turned to Jane, trying to subdue the worry and shock. "We're going to find ourselves those computers," he said quietly, determinedly to her. "We're not leaving Rose like this."

* * *

Seeing Jack so determined put a shiver up Jane's spine as she trotted after him. She glanced back at the Doctor, but he hadn't moved. If she had ever seen heartbreak, then this was it.

Scaling the cliff again wasn't so easy. Her skirts kept getting torn on the rock face and she was grateful to reach the top. She knew she looked a state, with blood spattering the cream material of her dress and her pale skin marred with purpling bruises. But that didn't even begin to matter.

Jack set a fast pace, even in the low roofed cave. She had to jog to keep up with him.

"D'you know where we're going?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah."

Tripping over a stone, she just about managed to stop herself falling. "What if more of the cold ones come?"

Jack didn't even slow. "Not gonna worry about that. Nothing we can do. Oh, we're here."

Jane supposed she was looking at a door, but it looked nothing like any door she'd ever seen before. Jack fiddled with something on the stone wall beside it and it abruptly grated open.

If the door had been unusual, then this room of beeping metal machines had Jane's jaw dropping in surprise.

Jack wasted no time hurrying over to the far end of the room, where he stood peering at a machine, tapping various buttons. Jane followed him, a little apprehensive. The cold ones had been strange, but she had had time to get used to them. This array of humming machines frightened her, especially considering what the Doctor had said. These machines took people's lives away.

"Dang it!" Jack kicked the machine, his face a thundercloud of anger.

"What is it?"

He turned to face her, his eyes bright and emotional. Jane felt goosebumps prickling her skin. Whatever she had thought, she did not know this man at all.

"I recognise some of these systems. I saw them somewhere before, used them even, in a different way. I can turn it off.. I can't reverse it, but I can turn it off."

"Then do."

"But I don't know if it'll save them or kill them."


	9. Not Alone

Final chapter!! At last! Apologies for being so slow! And I do hope you like! Oh and happy new year!!

* * *

_Part Nine – Not Alone_

_There's nothing that I wouldn't do_

_To have just one more chance_

_To look into your eyes_

_And see you looking back_

_I'm sorry for blaming you_

_For everything I just couldn't do_

_And I've hurt myself by hurting you._

_ Christina Aguilera – Hurt_

Oh Rose.

My Rose.

Everything I did, I did it for you.

* * *

Jack's hand was shaking as it hovered over the button. One touch would stop the energy transfer. One touch could stop a hundred hearts. 

There were tears in his eyes as he looked up to Jane. A bead of sweat glistened on his forehead.

A hoarse whisper cracked his dry throat.

"For Rose."

Slowly he let his hand fall to press the button.

They were running again, Jane struggling to catch up with Jack. The caves were filled with horrendous noises, clanking and grating, the screech of stressed metals echoing resoundingly through narrows tunnels and broader caverns, amplified in the enclosed space. Rocks were tumbling free of walls and roofs of the caves, dislodged by the tremors that shook the warren of underground caves.

When they reached the ledge on their hands and knees, Jane was almost afraid to look over. She held her breath as she and Jack hazarded a glance.

The blue glow had diminished, the only source now was a central column of light. It flickered and sparked sporadically, casting fitful shadows across the cave.

And the people… Jane's gaze tracked the villagers and farmers, each lying spread-eagled on the stones, white faces amid the grey. Too white.

"Oh no," she breathed, scrambling down the steep slope, not much slower than Jack who was already scaling the cliff-face, barely pausing to find hand- and foot-holes.

In her haste, Jane dropped the remaining metre to the ground, wincing as her ankle twisted sharply beneath her weight. But she picked herself up with barely a thought and hurried to the nearest villager, a man in rough woolens, his pale faced edged with a scruffy beard.

Her slim fingers quickly found the spot on his neck to press. His skin was icy and suffused with white-blue.

Prepared to despair, her breath caught in her throat as the skin beneath her fingers pulsed. Weakly, true, but it was a sign of life, however feeble. Fumbling in the dimness, she wrapped the man's coat more warmly around him then leaned over him to press her lips to his.

It took several tries, but finally he jerked. She sat back on her heels as he coughed, spluttering as he tried to breathe for himself. She helped him sit up and balance.

"Where-?" He coughed again, bringing his hand to his forehead. "What-?"

Eyes sparkling, Jane smiled.

"You're alive!"

* * *

Trying desperately not to trip over the bodies scattered where they had fallen, Jack ran. Guilt almost made him stop, just to see if these people could be helped but the thought of Rose hanging there, so lifeless, spurred him on. 

There. Ahead, silhouetted against the column of blue energy, stood a tall man, the shape of a girl in his arms. Fighting a wave of fear, Jack stumbled closer.

As the Doctor's face became visible, Jack slowed. The Doctor met his worried gaze.

A sudden smile lit the Doctor's features.

"She's alive!"

* * *

"Jack! Doctor!" 

Arms windmilling, Jane ran across the cave, skirts catching her legs, threatening to tip her to the ground.

"They're alive! Light, but they're alive!"

She stopped just short of them and they met her with bright smiles. Rose lay in the Doctor's arms, limp but her chest moving as she breathed.

To demonstrate the truth of her words, the villagers were stirring. Dazed, yes, confused, yes, but blessedly alive. Those who couldn't stand were pulled up by their fellows, tugging coats and shawls around frozen torsos.

Another tremor shook the caves, showering them all with a sheet of dust and sending dislodged pebbles skipping on the floor.

"Looks like this entire place is falling apart," the Doctor pointed out, earning himself a glare from Jane and leaving Jack to roll his eyes.

"There's a tunnel over there," Jane said, pointing. "Perhaps we should go that way?"

"Sounds good. Tell everyone to move that way!" the Doctor called, already trotting in that direction, Rose safely ensconced in his arms. Suiting action to words, he shouted to those he passed. "This way! Come on, this way now!"

Jane leaned over to help a child to stand, fear in its green eyes. "That way," she urged him, pointing and gently giving him an encouraging push. Jack was already at the other side of the cave, waving his arms and yelling at the top of his lungs.

As the flood of people reduced to a trickle, Jane ran to the tunnel herself. The cave looked all the bigger for being empty. The central column was flickering even more, lightning dancing across its shimmering surface, scorching the ground around it and leaving a painful afterglow in her eyes.

The Doctor was standing but the tunnel, smiling when he saw her.

"You just had to be the last," he admonished lightly.

"Where is Rose?"

"Jack's got her. He's gone ahead, to try and find a way out. C'mon, we should get out of here before this place falls on our heads."

* * *

The tunnel was dark and twisted, lit only intermittently by cracks of daylight where stones had fallen from the ceiling. Jane and the Doctor sprinted after the bedraggled villagers, Jane panting with tiredness that she hadn't really been feeling until now. 

Rounding another bend, a flood of daylight dazzled them with unexpected brightness. They stumbled out of the caves, blinking, into the open air.

Jane doubled over, clutching her stomach and trying to catch her breath. The Doctor merely shielded his eyes with one hand and peered at the caves.

Just as Jane looked up, there was a tremendous crash which shook the ground beneath their feet. In a billowing cloud of dust, the whole hillside in front of them crumbled as if hit by an invisible hammer. They stumbled backwards, eyes wide as a ball of blue light rose from the wreckage. The remaining fog melted around it before it dissipated into the air.

Glancing at Jane, the Doctor whistled through his teeth.

"That was too close."

He turned around and started walking, taking long strides.

"Good thing I didn't park the TARDIS on _that_ hill."

* * *

Jack and the Doctor barely saw Jane for the rest of the day. She was never long in the one place, always hurrying around. There were a hundred villagers and farmers who had suddenly found their homes in pieces. They had to find dry firewood, repair roofs and food had to scavenged from somewhere. 

It wasn't until late that night that she managed to sit down in her sitting room, freshly changed into a simple brown dress. The villagers had most of her other clothes, even the rich dresses.

She had just settled into the couch when the door opened. She cut off her protests as Jack and the Doctor entered.

Jack immediately sat on the couch beside her, waiting for her nod to pour himself a cup of tea. The Doctor didn't sit, just stood beside the mantel, back in his leather jacket.

"Heard you found everyone a place to sleep," Jack said, sipping the hot tea.

"We did." She looked over to the Doctor. "How is Rose?"

The Doctor didn't answer, just stared into the flames.

"She's gonna be fine," Jack answered. "A little sleep and warmth, and she'll be fine."

"I'm glad to hear it." She hesitated. "I have not really had much time to think… but I just cannot understand what happened here. It does not make any sense to me."

"I'll let you explain, Doctor," Jack said, contentedly leaning back on the sofa.

For a moment, the Doctor was silent. Then he glanced up at the two of them.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I'd bet it goes something like this. I reckon that about a couple of thousand years ago, a spaceship crashed here, under those hills. Those caves looked about that old anyway."

"Spaceship?" Jane had a startled expression on her face.

"Just listen," Jack said.

"I say crashed cos those computer systems we found were totally hotwired and crosswired and rewired and every other wired. Makeshift, cos whoever those people were, they had no other resources. There wouldn't 'ave been much here back then."

"So they set up those machines to get energy to restart their ship?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, or to send a distress signal. Obviously didn't work though."

"But why our people?" Jane asked, distressed. "And why now? Why not thousands of years ago? And what about the fog?"

"Ah, this is the interesting bit." The Doctor perched on the coffee table, hands to either side of him. "You see, I'd say that they didn't start of by taking people's energy. Just energy in the air and that. But there wouldn't have been very much. And so they couldn't restart their ship or call for help and they died out. But the systems were automatic. They were programmed to keep going. And cos they weren't gettin' enough energy, they started branching out, taking more and more. From anywhere."

"And the fog…" Jack began, understanding where the Doctor was going with this, "as the machines drained more and more energy, the air was filled with it. The fog. And it could use the fog to pull more energy and even control carriers of the energy."

"The cold ones," Jane breathed.

The Doctor sprang to his feet. "Exactly! And it explains how all the trees and wood and everything were rotted. All their energy went to this machine.

"Until I cut it off," Jack said brightly. "And boom!"

The Doctor grinned. "Boom."

Rose had been given a room to herself, a luxury considering that there were five or six villagers in even the smallest rooms in the manor.

Early morning sunlight falling across her face woke her. She lay where she was for a moment, the blankets warm and soft around her. It was hard to pull herself up but she forced herself to and scrambled quickly into her jeans and jacket again.

Just as she was pulling her jacket on, there was a knock at the door.

"Yeah, come in, it's open!" she called, not turning.

She closed the last button of the jacket and turned to her visitor.

"Doctor!" She stared at him in surprise. "I thought you'd forgotten about me! I mean, Jack was up here every ten seconds yesterday, fussin' over me like a mother hen but I haven't seen you at all."

He didn't say anything, he just walked slowly over the window, the sun casting a pale yellow glow on his battered jacket.

Rose hesitated. Part of her wanted to go over to him but another was reluctant. She might have sounded casual, but she was fully aware that he was more than likely avoiding her. She couldn't forget what he'd said to her in the caves just like that.

He shifted, crossing his arms, staring out of the window. Her gaze followed the strength in his features, traced his sunlit figure with her eyes. Her heart was racing again, it seemed to constantly be doing that now.

Finally, he took the decision away from her by turning slightly to face her. Her heart went out to him, at the anguish on his face.

"Rose…" he began but she was suddenly by his side, arms around him and face pressed against his chest. Hot tears soaked into his black jumper.

It took a moment but then she felt his hands on her back and his nose buried in her hair. He was murmuring in her ear, softly.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."

"Hey." She leaned back, swiping her hand across her eyes. His thumb wiped away any she had missed. "Don't worry about it. I understand."

"I guess I can be a stupid ape sometimes too," he joked, then let his sudden smile fade. His hand came up to caress her cheek. "I'm sorry for pushing you out. I thought it was the right thing to do."

"Well… it really wasn't. For anyone."

"You know I hate it when you're right."

"Cos I'm always right."

"Are you kiddin' me? You, always right?"

"Fine, but I am right sometimes."

"Oh, you are." He stroked a lock of blond hair. "You are."

His eyes were only inches from hers and they were at their most intense, sparkling with joy and affection that warmed Rose inside. She felt corny thinking that, but it was true. And that gaze was enough to send shivers down her spine.

"So… where does this leave us?" she said in a low voice, almost afraid to ask.

He tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear. He was slow to answer. "Well… I reckon that we should find the TARDIS first. I haven't the foggiest idea where we left it." He grinned cheekily. "Much easier to decide things in there, you know."

"Oi!" She playfully thumped his chest at the suggestion, but her cheeks tinged pink and she hoped that he wouldn't be able to feel her pulse racing. "And anyway, what 'bout Jack," she asked, teasingly.

"Oh, he's gone to… um… say goodbye, yes… to Jane. Might take a while."

"Ah," she said knowingly. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

So he took her hand in his and they ran downstairs and out of the manor. Laughing and chatting, they walked, hand in hand, back to the TARDIS. The sunlight dappled through bare oak branches to play on her golden hair and a slight breeze tugged at his battered leather jacket.

The way it was supposed to be.

The Doctor and his Rose.


End file.
